The Memphis Showboats (1-0) closed out Week 1 of the UFL season on Sunday afternoon against the Houston Roughnecks (0-1) from Rice Stadium. To recap, the Roughnecks are the former Houston Gamblers.
Memphis had 228 yards on offense. Quarterback Case Cookus completed 23 of 40 passes (57%) for 204 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and led the rushers with four carries for 16 yards. Cookus’s touchdown pass came in the second quarter throwing an 11-yard touchdown to Vinny Papale but the Showboats failed the one-point conversion.
Running back Darius Victor had ten carries for three yards and five catches for 33 yards. Memphis’s running game finished the afternoon with 19 carries for 34 yards. Wide receiver Daewood Davis led the receiving with 7 catches for 43 yards, while Vinny Papale made four catches for 36 yards and one touchdown.
Memphis kicker Matt Coghlin made two field goals with a long of 51 yards. Memphis’s defense made 31 tackles, four tackles for loss, four sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Houston had 174 yards on offense. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 16 of 21 passes (76%) for 157 yards, and led the rushers with two carries for 22 yards, and one touchdown. His rushing touchdown happened in the fourth quarter for one yard that had cut the Showboats lead down to 18-12 but they failed a three-point conversion.
Houston running back T.J. Pledger IV had six carries for 15 yards and two catches for 14 yards. Houston’s rushing game finished afternoon with 11 carries for 43 yards, and one touchdown. Running back Kirk Merritt led the receivers with four catches for 33 yards. Houston’s receivers finished the afternoon with 16 catches for 157 yards.
Houston kicker J.J. Molson made two field goals with a long of 55 yards. The defense made 53 tackles led by linebacker Rueben Foster with six tackles (4 solo, 2 assists), one interception, and one pass breakup. The rest of Houston’s defense had three sacks, seven tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown.
Next weekend, the Memphis Showboats host the San Antonio Brahmas on Saturday at 12 pm on ESPN, while the Houston Roughnecks visit the D.C. Defenders on Sunday at 4 pm on FOX. Subscribe to Fubo to watch all of the 2024 UFL Season and tickets for the game are available today on StubHub and Viagogo.
